Antiskidding device.



C. B. WOLCUTT ANTISKIDDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20. um.

1,294,588. Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

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assesses.

Application filed Jane 26, 191?.

To all whom it may concern.

, Be it known that l, CHARLES BREWER WOLCOT'I', a citizen of the United States, residing at Plantsville, in the county of Hartford and 'State of Connecticut, have in-. vented certain new and useful Improve ments in Antiskidding Devices. of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to iinproveinents'in anti-skidding devices, for use with automobile wheels, and the object of my improvement is simplicity and economy in construction and convenience and efficiency in use.

In the accompanying drawing:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a Wheel and tire equipped. with my iznproved'antiskidding device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the same. I 3

Fig. 3 a side elevation of certain parts shown in Fig.2. iii a different position.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the device shown in Fig. 2, as viewed from the left. relatively to the position shown vin the said figure.

Fig. 5 is a plan view, on a reduced scale. of the anti-skiddingdevice opened out.

Fig. 6. is aplan view, on an enlarged scale. the volre portion of the same and the adjacent parts.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the same.

My improved anti-skidding device comprises a unitary structur 10 that is positioned around the folly 1'1 and tire 12 in a "generally radial position, and located in line With one of the spokes 13, and is pro-' vided with fastening devices and a spring 14 for cotiperating with the spoke 13 in a peculiar manner to be described, there being a plurality of the similar units 10 used; dis tributed around the periphery of the wheel.

The device 10, as shown in the opened out View Fig. 5, comprises at the middle a tread portion 15 consisting of a length of chain that passes over the periphery of the tire, has at one end a link 16 that is connected to the tread portion 15 by a conneoting member 17 of wire, and at the other end, and also connected to the tread portion 15 by a connecting member 17 of. wire is Specification of Letters Patent.

lPatented Feh. id 31%112.

Seriailii'o175j3'57.

in the form of cooperating hooks for engag- 'ing with the-link 16in one case and with an ode 21 pm theyoke 18 in the other case.

The link 16 IS in the form of a closed loop.

of wire, of generally triangular rtorm, comprising at the onter end the apex portion 22 that is connected to the hook portion 20 of the connecting member 17, the divergent side arms extending inwardly from the said ape): portion 22 and having the inner ends connected by the bar 24:.

The said her 24- as shown is straight. As will be noterhthe said bar 24: when in use engages on one side of the spoke 13.

The yoke 18 is formed of a single piece of Wire, and comprises .11". oneend the yoke proper 25, at the other end the eye 21, and intermediate the said ends is the shank 27.

The eye portion 21 engages with the connecting member 17 and is in the form of a loop, formed from the middle portion of the by closing the eye 21 on one side and the yoke proper 25 on the other.

' At the outer end of the shank 27 the wire is directed laterally on each side to provide short side branches 29, and from the lateral ends of the branches 29 the wire extends out- .wardly, longitudinally to form the sidearms 530 of the yoke proper and the ends are turned over to form hooks 31, for engaging: with the bar I The spread of the yoke arms 80 is such as to receive between them the spoke 1. and when the hooks 31 are engaged with the bar 24. the spoke 13 is snugly housed between the bar 2 1: and the branch arms 29. the lat ter constituting the back Wall or the voice proper 25. I

The yoke member 18 may be bent,

shown. at the junction of the shank 27 and the yoke proper 25 to an obtuse angle.

The spring l is formed of spring wire and comprises at its middle the spring body 32 in the form of a coil that is made up of a plurality of convolutions that inclose the shank member 2? of the yoke member 18,

and the end portions 33 are in the form of arms that extend along generally between the telly 11 and the side arms 30 of the yoke proper and when in use rest upon the felly 11.

In use, the yoke proper 25 is brought into position with the spoke 13 positioned between the side arms 30, the tread portion 15 is passed around the periphery of the tire 12, and then the link 16 is brought into position and the bar 2% connected to the hook portion 31 of the yoke member 18, and the spring arms 33 are brought to bear on the felly 11.

Thus the spring operates to lift the connecting members, composed of the link 16 and the yoke member 18, away from the' telly, the tread device being held in contact with the tire, the entire anti-skidding device being held yieldingly in distended position, under spring tension. Also, the lifting or distcnding effect due to the spring tension described, in cooperation with the spoke 13, operates to hold the connecting members 16 and. 18 in connected position by holding the bar 24: connected to the hooks 31, as shown in Fig. at. These parts are constructed and arranged to provide a snug fit for the spoke, as mentioned, the fit being such as to permit freely of sliding movement along the spoke and also to permit of disengaging the bar 24 from the hooks 31 by forcibly reducing the effective length of the device in opposition-to the spring.

In use, through contact with the road bed, there is a tendency for the tread portion to creep relatively to the tire and spokes, and the wheel structure generally.

By my invention such creeping is permitted, though momentarily, without affecting the other parts of the anti-skidding device, by reason of the yielding character thereof, as has been described.

The condition mentioned occurs during the interval involving the first Contact of the tread portion with the road bed and the final passing over the same of the active tread portion of the tire. After the tread portion. is released fr -n the pressure contact with the tire the spring restores the anti-skidding device to the normalposition.

It is apparent that some changes from the specific construction herein 'disclosed' may be made, and therefore I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form of construction shown and described, but desire the liberty to make such changes,

.. mouse in working my invention, as may fairly come within the spirit and scope, of the same.

L claim as my invention 1. An anti-skidding device for encircling a tire and rim structure, comprising an antiskidding member proper for belng positioned over the periphery of the tire, means for connecting the ends at the said member comprising as one of the elements a yoke provided with a shank, a spring for taking up slack when the said device is in position on a tire and rim structure, and the said spring having a body portion of coil form that incloses the said shank and arms at the ends of the said body portion for hearing against the said tire and rimstructure.

2. An anti-skidding device comprising an anti-skidding member for extending over the periphery of a tire, cooperating connecting members for connecting together the ends of the said anti'skidding member, the

said connecting members being normally positioned adjacent the felly and serving also to loosely inclose a spoke, a spring supported by one of the said connecting members and having bearing engagement with the saidtfelly, the total length. of the structure composed of the combined anti-skidding member and connectin members, when connected, being appreciably greater than the peripheral length around the tire and felly, the said spring serving normally to maintain the said structure under tension and with the connecting members positioned at the innermost position, in spaced relation, relatively to the felly, and the parts being constructed and arranged so that the connecting members will be moved momentarily outwardly along 'the spoke, in opposition to the spring, responsive to thocreeping of the anti-skidding member when in contact with the roadway, and will be restored to the normal position by the spring when the antiskidding member is released from such contact.

3. In an anti-skidding device in the form of. an endless device for encircling a tire and rim structure and having a spring for taking up slack, a yoke incor orated in the said device and comprising a connecting eye at one end, a pair of arms suitably spaced for receiving a spoke t'herebetween at the other end. and a shank portion in the form of a pair of arms extending from the said eye and connected individually to the said spaced arms, and the said spring comprisin r a coil portion for being mounted on the sai shank portion and two rms for bearing against the wheel rim in the form of extensions of the ends of the said coil portion.

4'. An anti-skidding device for encircling a tire and rim structure and connected in endless form by means of a pair of connecting members, one of the'said connecting the form of a link having a bar forengaging xiiembers being in the form of a yoke of With the said hooks and bridging the gap 10 eneimliyktlshape for partially inclilosing the between the said arms. said spo e and engaging with t i'ee sides 5 thereof, comprising a pair of arms in spaced CHARLES BREWER L relation, positioned one'on each side of the Witnesses:

' said spoke, andhaving hooks at their ends, GEO. A; STARK,

' and the other-of the said members being in VIVIAN M. STARK. 

